Parental Support and Attachment After Bullying: Psychological Correlates of Romantic Relationship Quality in Young Adults

Abstract

The present study examined the long-term psychosocial effects of childhood bullying on adult relational outcomes, with particular focus on attachment styles, perceived partner responsiveness, remembered parental relationships, and romantic relationship quality. Anchored in attachment theory, this study involved 102 participants aged 18–25 years (n = 45 bullied; n = 57 non-bullied), recruited through purposive and snowball sampling in Kolkata, India. Group classification was based on the Retrospective Bullying Questionnaire (Schäfer et al., 2004). Participants completed standardized self-report measures: the Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Read, 1990), Perceived Partner Responsiveness Scale (Reis et al., 2018), Lovebird Scale (Cloonan et al., 2023), and the Remembered Relationship with Parents Scale (Denollet et al., 2007). Independent samples t-tests revealed statistically significant differences between groups in attachment anxiety (p < .001), closeness (p < .001), dependence (p = .003), emotional disconnection (p = .030), and father alienation (p < .001). No significant differences were observed in perceived partner responsiveness, maternal control, or romantic mutuality. Results suggest that individuals with a history of bullying exhibit maladaptive attachment tendencies and disrupted paternal relationships, which may impair adult romantic functioning. These findings underscore the significance of paternal emotional involvement as a moderating factor in mitigating the relational impact of early peer victimization.